Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler & Grant Blackwood

The Cussler franchise continues in this formula book.   Like Patterson, Cussler has created a formula that sells books.   He starts with a preposterous mystery and then shares the stage with the primary mystery.   Eventually they are tied together.   This story starts with WWII German submarines and ends with a hunt for a hidden Grecian treasure.

Sam and Remi Fargo are the protagonists in this book.   They are a couple with apparently unlimited resources to run the worlds secrets to the ground.   They rent and destroy equipment, vehicles and properties world wide.   

The obligatory cameo of Cussler is in this book.   I haven't read any Cussler in about five years so that was a treat to see that some things haven't changed.

Grant Blackwood is a ghost writer who co-authored the book with Cussler.   Speculation is that Blackwood wrote the book and Cussler added his name for the marketing panache.   I have no idea if that speculation is founded in anything but jealousy as the book hit number 10 on the NY Times Hard Cover Fiction list.

The story is entertaining, there is a ton of preposterous action and a black on black villain.   The formula works and provides a couple of hours of escapism.  

Web site:       http://www.cusslerbooks.com/

                        http://grantblackwood.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is another one of those books that brings to mind why there is chocolate and vanilla.  This book was recommended by a friend and she really enjoyed it.  It is a New York Times best seller.  A young woman deals with death and desperation in Nazi Germany by stealing books.  

I really found this book hard to read.  I thought it was choppy and difficult to follow.   With that said, I look more for entertainment than edification.  Perhaps this book is edifying but it wasn’t for me.  

The protagonist climbs in a window at the Mayor’s house to steal a book.  Perhaps there is symbolism there and I just didn’t get it.  

This book has a lot of great reviews so once again I find myself out of step with the NY Times a bunch of other people because I just didn’t enjoy it.

Body of work of Markus Zusak

Web Site: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/

The Time Pirate by Ted Bell

In the tradition of Tom Swift and The Hardy Boys this book is a rollicking good time for the young reader and those of us young in heart. Nick McIver is a young man with a time machine. In this adventure he faces historic events in American history, pirates and Nazis.

Ted Bell does an excellent job of recreating the feel of the grand adventures I read as a boy. Nick McIver is pure of heart and free of malice. He attacks life with gusto and with the characteristic disregard for fear illustrated so well by Tom Swift. The character shows decision making and wisdom far beyond his chronological age. He thrusts himself into situations adults would fear to approach. He incites loyalty in adults who indulge his adventurous nature and who give him full rein to jump into exceedingly dangerous situations. So much of the book is totally outrageous in that any adult that knowingly allowed a young teen to do what Nick does in this book would be committed, arrested or pilloried for their behavior. This is probably what will make the book enormously successful for the young reader.

I heartily recommend it.

Body of work of Ted Bell


Site:

Secret Honor by W. E. B. Griffin

Here is another author who has always kept my interest. I particularly liked his series on Philadelphia. I am familiar with the setting and recognize many of the situations. His military series could be written from a template due to their similarity of style. Since I enjoy the books apparently that doesn’t bother me. This story takes place primarily in Argentina during WWII. The OSS, the SS and the good old USA are all represented. Griffin does a good job of showing that there are many shades of gray. There are coal black SS officers and practically white German officers. I think it is important to consider in today’s world of anger and jihad that those who make the most ugly noise are not always representative of their religion or ethnicity. It is too easy to vilify and stereotype when fear and anger run rampant. Griffin makes it clear in his stories that the “wrong” side of a conflict can have good people overwhelmed by circumstances. Once again, a good story and I recommend reading it.

Body of work of W. E. B. Griffin

Review: http://www.webgriffin.com/honor.html

Web site: http://www.webgriffin.com/theauthor.html